Max Dies at the End
by CaptainEaglefort
Summary: My imagining of an alternate ending for a game I truly loved. The title should tell you what you're in for.


Spoilers abound below. Read at your own risk. Also, I will be taking a couple of minor liberties with time travel. Specifically, I am allowing the diary Max keeps to travel with her. It appears to do this inconsistently in-game anyway, so I don't feel this is TOO much of a stretch. Insert obligatory "This is my first fan-fic" disclaimer here.

Like so many others, I hella loved this game. From the first time I met Chloe in-game, I knew this would not have a happy ending though. Something about saving someone with time-travel absolutely screams "ALL ABOARD THE FEELS TRAIN" and suggests that only tragedy can follow. I was certain that the ending would have only a couple of possible outcomes. One outcome was that you would go back and sacrifice Chloe. The other ending I felt had to happen was one where Max sacrifices herself to save Chloe and fix the timeline.

Since that second option was not an option, I decided to write it up. I hope you enjoy my imagining of a version of the ending where…

Max Dies at the End

The flash of Max's instant camera brought her back into reality. There she was. Back at the moment where she saved her one-time-and-now-again best friend, starting a week of laughter and tears. For the first time since she had gotten it, she had hoped her Power would have failed. Then at least she wouldn't have to sit by while Chloe dies alone and angry in a bathroom.

She looked at the picture of the blue butterfly she had just taken and sighed. It slid out of her hands and landed soundlessly on the tile floor. It felt like thousand lifetimes ago when she took the original picture. Any second now, Nathan would come through the door. And then Chloe. And then…

Max shook her head, trying to clear that thought from her mind. This was going to be hard enough without dwelling on it. She had heard somewhere that quote about evil needing only for good men to do nothing in order to flourish. Those words made her feel sick. Was she going to allow evil to happen?

 _This just isn't fair. Not fucking fair at all,_ she thought, closing her eyes. She felt the sharp pinpricks of water threaten to break free so she opened them again. Max peered around the corner of the bathroom stall, looking to the door. Any second now…

The door opened, causing Max to flinch back to hiding. _Here we go…_ she thought. Nathan's footsteps echoed around the room as he glanced in the first couple of stalls for an unwanted audience. Of course he didn't check well enough. He never did.

"It's cool, Nathan…don't stress… Y-you're okay, bro. Just count to three." Nathan stepped up to a sink, talking to his mirror image more than simply to himself. He was clearly nervous. "Don't be scared… You own this school. If I wanted, I could blow it up… You're the Boss…"

The door opened a second time. Max didn't have to see to know who it was. It was her rockstar. Her Chloe. Her chest tightened as she squeezed closer against the wall. _Oh god, no…I-I don't think I can do this!_ Max screamed internally.

"So what do you want?" Nathan asked the blue-haired girl, doing exactly nothing to hide his contempt. She ignored the question and stepped in the room.

Chloe stomped forward and pushed open a couple of the stall doors. "I hope you 'checked the perimeter,' as my step-ass would say." Satisfied there were no eavesdroppers, she turned toward Nathan. "Now, let's talk bidness." Max felt herself sink to the ground. There was what, maybe a minute left before Chloe would be gone forever?

He scowled in response. "I got nothing for you." His grip tightened on the sides of the sink. Max, knowing what she knew now, could practically feel the tension and fear oozing off of him. She pitied him now, instead of hating him. She wanted to hate him for what he was about to do. But it wasn't entirely his fault.

"Wrong," Chloe said angrily. "You got hella cash." She stepped towards him, trying to intimidate him. Of course, she had no idea that was the exact wrong approach to take.

 _She doesn't deserve this. Chloe has had to deal with so much shit and her reward is a bullet?_ Max shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying to hold down her anger. She HAD to stay there. This HAD to happen.

Nathan smirked a little, turning his head to face the girl trying to blackmail him. "That's my family. Not me."

Chloe fumed at that smirk. "Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kid. I know you been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids around here." She stepped around his right side, getting in his face. "I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now-"

That hit a nerve. Nathan's mask started slipping. "Leave them out of this, bitch!"

Max could feel her heart begin racing. _Here it comes. I just have to sit here and li-listen to my friend…_ Her eyes began to well up. She had to resist the urge to sniffle, knowing that would give her away. _Just a few more seconds, Max. You can do this._

Satisfied she had struck a chord in Nathan, Chloe decided to push a little more. "I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-"

Suddenly, Nathan turned toward her with a gun in his hand. He raised the gun. "You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!" he said, practically spitting the words out.

Chloe's antagonizing nature dropped immediately. "Where'd you get that? What're you doing?" Nathan slowly stepped toward her, pushing her against the door to the bathroom. Chloe's eyes were glued to the gun. "Come on, put that thing down!"

 _Oh god…_

The gun pressed against Chloe's stomach. Nathan set his face inches from Chloe's. "Don't EVER tell me what to do! I am so SICK of people trying to control me!" he growled. His hands shook a little, but Chloe would never notice.

Chloe's voice shook as she pleaded with the unstable teen. "You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-"

Nathan drove the gun even harder into her gut, shutting her up. "Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?" His voice took on an edge of panic. Max could hear his stability falling apart by the second, even from the far side of the room.

 _No…no no no. I can't. I thought I could. But this…I can't let this happen. Not to her. Not again. Never again,_ Max thought. She knew it was too late to save Chloe the same way as before. But that didn't matter. She wasn't going to do it that way.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe yelled, trying to shove Nathan's hand away in desperation. He tightened his grip on the gun in response, causing it to go off.

The blast echoed in the bathroom, causing Max to flinch. She couldn't help it. It was a reflex by now.

Max lifted her right hand and time rewound.

The blue butterfly picture fed from her camera, like a child's tongue. Max dropped both the picture and the camera this time, her hand diving into her bag. She felt around for her diary. And a pen.

As she pulled both of the desired items from her bag, a plan began to form in her mind. _Maybe I can fix this and save her all at once. I caused the tornado by fucking with time too much. What if I make sure this is the only time?_ she thought to herself, her heart racing.

Max flipped through the pages, seeing all of her experiences from the week-that-would-never-be filling them. A firm reminder that the future could still be written.

The bathroom door opened.

Max had to think fast. She knew she had about a minute and a half. Probably less, if she were to be honest about it. She had to write a note, had to make sure Chloe would understand what was about to happen. Especially if it happened quickly. And went wrong. She had a feeling that, if this went wrong, she wouldn't get a chance to do it right.

She scribbled in her diary, before the first entry of the week. It only barely registered in her mind when the door opened the second time. Max knew Nathan only shoots Chloe because he's scared. But she also knew the gunshot would alert David and possibly even Principal Wells. Or someone. Someone outside that door would hear and call for help. So maybe if she gets his focus and, more importantly, the gun away from pointing in Chloe's direction…

 _Chloe, if you're reading this, it means I did it! I saved you. But it also means I somehow fucked up at the same time and got myself killed too. Sorry, if that's the case. I know you're angry. You're angry at me and your dad and Rachel for not being here. But you know we love you. We love you so very much. And if it takes me dying to make sure you live, then I will pay that price a million times. No pun intended. And don't blame Nathan. It's not entirely his fault._

Hearing Chloe stomp around in her boots only galvanized her resolve. This was the right choice. _Who knows?_ Max thought, allowing a brief moment of hope, _maybe we can both make it out of this. Maybe I can have Chloe and get Nathan and Jefferson caught._ This hope spurred her to right faster.

 _I don't have time to explain, but I need you to trust me. Everything in this diary happened. Every. Single. Word. I swear to dog. It happened in the upcoming week. It'll make more sense after you read it. It's going to seem totally unreal and I can't prove any of it. But none of that matters._

 _I tried to do what you asked, really I did. But I can't have a world without you. I love you, Chloe. If there's nothing else you understand, at least understand that you mean everything to me. I hope this works._

 _I'm so sorry._

 _Max_

"Where'd you get that? What're you doing?" Max looked at her note. It was the best she could think of. Hastily written and barely legible, she hoped it would make Chloe understand. Besides, if all went exactly right, she wouldn't need the note anyway. "Come on, put that thing down!" She glanced around the corner. Nathan had Chloe pressed against the door of the bathroom. Chloe's eyes were wide with fear.

Max stood slowly, taking her diary in her hand. _Shit…it feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. Can I really pull this off?_ Her mind was moving a mile a minute. This was stupid. This was dangerous. This was right.

"Don't EVER tell me what to do! I am so SICK of people trying to control me!" Max heard Nathan say. She recognized the rage building behind the words. And the fear.

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-" Chloe was cut off mid-sentence by Nathan jabbing her with the barrel of the gun. Max took a deep breath and stepped from behind the stall. Chloe's eyes shot up. There was no recognition in them. Only terror.

Nathan didn't notice, his back facing Max and his focus being on the gun pointing at the blue-haired punk girl. "Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?" He said, his voice rising slightly.

"Nathan, please don't!" Max called out. She couldn't keep fear from causing her voice to crack a little.

She had exactly the effect she wanted. Nathan turned suddenly, facing the source of the unexpected voice.

So did the barrel of the gun.

His grip tightened, causing the trigger to press in. The gun roared once. Three people flinched. The gun clattered to the floor.

Max didn't realize she had closed her eyes until she realized all she could see was darkness. She opened them slowly.

Nathan had fallen to his knees, confusion marring his face. Chloe only stared wide-eyed at her friend, her hands covering her face. "M-Max!? Is that you?" she whispered.

Max nodded wordlessly. She had done it. She saved Chloe. And no one had to die. Her shirt was wet. _Wait,_ _why is my shirt wet?_ She looked down and saw a red stain growing around a hole. _Where did that hole come from?_

Max fell to her knees, still holding her diary, as Chloe rushed to her side. "Holy fuck, Max. What are you doing here?"

Max only shook her head and made a small whimpering sound. Chloe finally saw the wound.

"Oh god, y-you're bleeding! Y…he shot you?" Chloe's voice shook with panic. "Hold on, okay? I-I'll get help." Chloe tried to stand, but Max was holding the sleeve of her jacket.

"N-no. Don't leave me," she managed to whisper. She knew she wouldn't make it. She did not want to die alone.

Chloe knelt back down and hugged Max closely. "Okay. I'm not going anywhere." She knew the gunshot had attracted attention anyway. She could hear the students screaming outside.

Max looked at her blue-haired beauty. Her stomach hurt more than she could ever have imagined, but she knew in her heart it was worth it. Chloe would always be worth it. "Ch-chloe, I'm so sorry for not being there for you. It l-looks like that's still going to be true." Her head started swimming. _Blood loss._ "I, uh…I need you to do something for me."

Tears had begun to make their way down Chloe's face. "Anything, Maxaroni."

Max smiled. Chloe would always be Chloe. "My diary. I n-need you to take it. It explains e-everything." Her face twisted in pain.

Chloe nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

"D-don't you dare f-forget about m-me…" Max trailed off.

"Never." Chloe whispered, taking Max's diary and holding it to her chest.


End file.
